No regrets: The aftermath of Ep,78
by Littlenell44
Summary: My own take on the aftermath of Ep.78 The Lizzie Trap - also my first LBD fic! Darcy and Gigi discuss some things One - shot


"If there's anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable, please let me know" Darcy moved his hand unconsciously to shake her hand, but caught himself before it went too far.

"Thank you." Lizzie reached over and touched his arm, before quickly jumping back and turning off the camera. Without another word, and barely an awkward smile to him, she fled.

Darcy unconsciously touched the part of his arm that she had touched so fleetingly, and stared at the open door, and the retreating figure of the woman he was utterly in love with.

She had been different this time. The barrier of indifference and incivility had seemingly lifted, and Darcy felt, for the first time since Halloween, a flicker of hope. Perhaps she no longer hated him.

At the thought, he winced. He was pathetic. It did not matter if she did not hate him – she would never love him the way that he loved her.

_But maybe you could be friends._ He cursed the voice of hope in his mind, and cast it aside completely as Gigi walked in the door, a wide and victorious grin on her face.

"So?!" Gigi was almost jumping with excitement – she clutched her hands together to stop them shaking "How did it go?"

"Fine." Darcy did not blame his sister for her interference, though he would not let her know that. He found that he could not bring himself to regret time with Elizabeth – no matter how much it hurt.

"Fine? Just fine? Will, there is only so much we can do to help you, you know...where did you leave it?"

Darcy sighed, "G, I don't really want to talk...wait, we?"

"Me and Fitz," Gigi waved her hand dismissively, "of course we should talk about this – if you're ever going to live happily ever after with Lizzie, then you need to 'work on your game' as Charlotte so brilliantly put it."

Darcy marvelled that his sister could be such a romantic, despite Wickham, and despite their parents disastrous marriage. But he knew that he also had that streak – just more repressed, and hidden even from himself at times. He brushed over the idea that Fitz was in on this plan too – it didn't really surprise him, but he would talk to his friend. He had to put a stop to their meddling.

"Gigi, I really don't need your help." He lifted his hand as she opened her mouth to say something in reply, and she closed it again. "She doesn't like me, and I think that we should just let her finish her shadowing and go home. I won't cause her any more pain than I already have."

_And maybe then I'll get over her._

The agony of her rejection was no longer as fresh, but there was an ache in his chest that never abated – from the moment he woke up in the morning to the moment he shut his eyes at night. Up until the moment that he had walked into the room and seen her face again, he had been trying to push aside the voices in his head that told him that she was the one he was meant to spend the rest of his life with.

Being in her company again had brought forth all of the love and affection, and indeed lust, that he had repressed, even from himself, in the last two months. He was sure that it had been written all over his face. Surprisingly, he found he was ok with this – after all, he had nothing to lose.

Gigi was still staring at him. Her grin had died down, and she was now looking at him with sympathy and curiosity.

"Do you honestly believe that?" At his blank stare, she went on, "That she doesn't like you? It didn't sound like she didn't."

"She wasn't hostile, certainly, but that doesn't mean that she likes me."

"Will, you need to stop being so negative! Negative thinking gets you nowhere!" Gigi now had that look on her face that Darcy dreaded. It was her I'm – getting – my – own – way – or - else – and – you – will – be - happy look that she only used when she felt he was being too cynical or negative. Darcy often marvelled that she hadn't turned out spoiled – after all, he couldn't say no to her when she put her mind to it.

"It can't hurt to spend more time with her...and from what I heard through the door – you might even be able to have conversations!" The grin was back.

Darcy sighed again, but more with exasperation. Gigi's words had appealed to the less rational part of himself that did want to spend more time with Lizzie. The yearning would always be there. Indeed, the moment that he had heard that she was to shadow his company he had wanted to rush back to San Francisco from LA and be there – just to be near her.

And so his heart once again won over his judgement, and he said quietly, "I suppose it can't hurt."

"Yay," Gigi linked their arms together and manoeuvred him out of the room. "Now let's go and have dinner."

As they walked out of Pemberley and got into his car, Darcy could not help but think that the women he loved most in the world would one day be the death of him, and he couldn't regret that for anything.


End file.
